Two men who evaded tens of thousands of pounds of duty by smuggling cigarettes and tobacco have been spared jail.

Pensioner Jeffrey Oakden was involved in the operation for more than a year and fraudulently evaded £121,814.36 duty.

Joiner Jason Clough was involved on just one occasion and evaded nearly £10,000.

Now Oakden, aged 66, has been handed a suspended jail sentence and Clough received a community order at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Nick Tatlow said police stopped a Renault van in Crewe on the morning of December 11, 2015 and found 38,600 counterfeit cigarettes in Lambert & Butler packaging.

Mr Tatlow said: “Oakden drove a Renault van on the car park of The Sydney Arms pub in Crewe. Shortly after, Clough drove an Iveco van there and they swapped vans. Clough drove the Renault to a storage unit in Weston Road, Crewe, before returning to the pub car park at 9.50am. Police stopped the Renault and inside were 38,600 cigarettes in Lambert & Butler packaging. No duty had been paid. The duty evaded was £9,9973.37. The cigarettes were also counterfeit.

“Searches were made at both defendants' homes. Oakden had 13 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco where no duty had been paid."

The defendants' mobile phones were seized and examined.

Mr Tatlow added: “Oakden's phone contained 220 texts between him and eight individuals relating to the sale and distribution of smuggled cigarettes and tobacco.

“The Crown's case is Oakden was involved in the fraudulent evasion of £121,814.36. Clough's involvement was £9,973.37."

Oakden, of Louvain Avenue, Sneyd Green, pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of duty on cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco between November 2, 2014 and December 11, 2015.